Entrepreneurial – Page 16 – TP Javeton WebNet

Free blogging software platforms

There is plenty of free blogging software available on the Web, including WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr and Medium which are positioned atop a list of the fifteen best platforms. These blogging platforms and many others, have been propelled to their respective positions atop the popularity list because there are simple to use by design. But given such simplicity of use, some users – especially newcomers to the blogging community – who have not spent enough time learning the features and functionality of blogging software in general, can still feel overwhelmed when they attempt to use it.

That having been said, if you are among that group of individuals who feel comfortable expressing themselves in another medium, it may well prove to be worth your time and effort to software, even though the task will not be easy. The important thing to understand about learning to use free blogging software is, it must be approached in a step by step, methodical way, instead of trying to absorb all the features at one time. One way to simplify the learning process is to avoid loading up your blog with all the free accessories you can find, since doing so will be a time consuming distraction.

Blogging software features

Features like, a visitor counter, flashy background, exciting new font(s), and a cluster of other quirky animated gifts can certainly wait until you have a better grasp of basic features like standard fonts, paragraph formatting, number of columns, layout, admin panel features and comments mediation, among many others. In other words, the recommended way in which a from free blogging tools is to be discriminatory in his/her selection. The main thing that will help a user find success as s/he learns the new kind of blogging software is to take things slowly, as stated earlier.

Unfortunately, some folks get so excited about learning to blog that they rush into the thick of it and start exploring the most complicated features of a program right away, which invariably gets them into trouble and cause some of them to lose confidence which often results in them quitting before they can even get to stage two of the learning process. Taking your time to learn the basic functions of any blogging software before undertaking more advanced techniques, is likely to help you retain what you have learned, as well as to instill confidence and a positive sense about your ability to .

Approach blogging software with discretion

What might also be an excellent idea is to learn about different kinds of free blogging tools that are available so that you can make an informed decision about what to add to your blog; but keep in mind that simply because you can have something doesn’t mean that you need to get it. It may be more important to practice restraint by selecting only those options that you think will be useful – if not valuable – to you in .

A good example of such discretion is determining how many visitors read your blog, in the sense that if you can check your traffic stats without installing a visitor counter, which is likely to add unnecessary clutter, then by all means do so. Another example is the enormous distraction a flashy background will cause, and limited benefit it would provide, if installed on a text-based blog. And remember that even a blog tool that doesn’t cost you any money may not be an asset in the long run; so be realistic about assessing, and select the kinds of blog accessories that will help you crystallize your vision and .

The fact of the matter is…

There is an aspect of affiliate marketing that many seasoned affiliates – those who are struggling and some who have found success in varying degrees – are hesitant to discuss due to a perception that disclosure would make it more difficult to attract newcomers (newbies) to the business. This particular aspect is the cold hard fact that over 90%, but less than 95% of affiliates will actually make less than $100 a month; and those who exceed earnings of $100 a month, but haven’t reached the pinnacle of success, probably comprise another 8% to 9% of the affiliate workforce, leaving only one to two percent at the elite status of super affiliate marketers.

It is therefore important for any aspiring or newbie affiliate marketer to understand that s/he should not count on making a full time income unless and until s/he is able to acquire the tools, resources, online marketing skills and relationships necessary to launch the type of affiliate marketing business that will be sustainable for the first few years, and could eventually generate revenue on a consistent enough basis considered enough to meet the high bar of success as it pertains to the affiliate marketing business.

Basic elements and traffic flow

The basic elements required for kicking off an affiliate marketing career are:

A good web site that converts!
Adequate search engine optimization (SEO)!
Interesting if not compelling content!
Website visitors, or traffic in AM jargon!
Supporters: returning visitors who like you (via your site)!
Reputable and reliable merchants
Great products to promote!

The one thing an affiliate marketer must have in order to succeed is a constant flow of traffic from which s/he could establish relationships which will produce the base of followers/supporters some of whom, with minimum prodding or coersion, will purchase products via the affiliate’s website. However, this traffic-to-relationship-to-buyer conversion is a lot easier said than done, which is one of the reasons that over 90% of affiliates make $100 or less a month. Consider this ratio for a moment: 1:200 is the number of visitors who will buy products via a typical affiliate’s website!

So unless the affiliate is promoting high-end luxury products with big price tags (cars, yachts, jewelry, real estate, etc.), s/he will need a substantial traffic flow on a daily basis, and that’s where adequate SEO can be instrumental in getting that affiliate’s website listed in the search engines (preferrably on the first page) so more people will be able to find it. That having been said there is a misconception about affiliate marketing that oo many people buy into, and when they learn the truth about how they should actually do affiliate marketing it is often too late.

Dispelling the misconception

But contrary to popular opinion – or misconception – affiliate marketing is not a get rich quick type of program; and success is not achieved by placing a few product links and banner on a website (poorly optimized or not) and then money will start rolling in; and those who hold this belief should not be surprised if they never make a single sale or any money at all. There is a lot of time, work and creativity involved in developing and nurturing a successful affiliate marketing business, some of which have alreay been mentioned above; and even when the time and work have been put in, there is still more to be done.

Understand also – if you are that aspiring affiliate marketer – that there are no guarantees of success, or even that you will ever make your first $100 or how long it will take you make; because, as with every other affiliate marketer, how much money you make depends solely on how much time, effort and money you are willing to put in. If you are a quick learner and really good at affiliate marketing, you could make 2,000 in 2 years; and this is based entirely on whether or not you’re starting from 0 with another full time job that prevents you from devoting a lot of time to your affiliate marketing program.

In view of everything already said on this page, if you decide to give affiliate marketing a try, you would be doing so with the realization that it is not an easy business; but you should also know that the toughest part are the challenges you will be confronted with in the first five to six months; and if you check your stats and see that you are only making a few dollars, you might find yourself wondering if all the hard work was worth it; but the important thing to remember is to stay committed with your hard work, and the commissions should start growing as you keep working.

Practical expectations, realistic results

One of the biggest factors in affiliate marketing is the traffic that goes through your website; because even though you’ll get a lot of traffic passing through your website, only a fraction of the traffic will be buyers. The key however, is knowing your visitors and then being able to determine which affiliate programs you can offer to meet their needs. There is also the concept of pre-sale, which is the ability to put your visitors in the required mindset for them to actually click on one or more of your prduct links.

By sticking with affiliate marketing, you’ll learn more and more over the years; but you shouldn’t expect to be the best when you first start out, it will take a lot of hard work and dedication. Just keep in mind that by putting the time and effort into your programs, and building the necessary relationships and base of supporters, you’ll be well on your way to making it in the very profitable and exciting world of affiliate marketing, even if you have to endure a few years of growing pains before seeing measurable and/or acceptable results. Good luck!